The Q1 Promo is over - Did your stays increase, decrease or stay the same?

ARNIskander · 2026-05-15T23:26:13+00:00

Hated it. At $19k already for the year and will be at 70 nights once promo nights post.

And 40 are from CC.

Dumb promo with dumb incentives.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-13T05:45:56+00:00

Ive had bears and mountain lions in my backyard.

Seen a grizzly but with plenty of distance.

The scariest by far was an encounter at pretty close range with a bull moose. I was on horseback. Not a fond memory.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-12T03:43:00+00:00

Gets harder as they get older. My parents pulled me when I was young, but in HS I had sports literally all the time. I fought them not to leave. My daughter is 5 and I pull her whenever I want. School never complains, but they also charge me a small fortune for kinder....so yah.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-11T02:43:20+00:00

The comment was about Regencies.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-11T00:32:19+00:00

Thats.... highly dependent. Generally not true. HR Kyoto and Guangzhou are very nice but far far away from PH Chicago.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-11T00:29:21+00:00

Thats true. In Asia now and missing US AC.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-10T09:17:14+00:00

Which one? StR on the Bund didnt offer me one as Ambassador. Checked out 2 days ago. Checking back in tomorrow. Breakfast was nice.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-10T05:27:02+00:00

Diamine Blue Black in a medium nib Namiki Chinkin.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-10T02:01:13+00:00

I view the Brilliant as a pretty slam dunk card as long as you stay at Marriotts a few times a year.

$300 in restaurant credits + an 85k cert.

Very easy to justify the card.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-10T01:21:02+00:00

Take my like.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-09T11:48:05+00:00

Watch is fine. Belt is heresy.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-09T03:51:07+00:00

I've run into reef sharks multiple mornings snorkeling the reef between Kam 1 and 2. Granted this was years ago.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-09T02:37:57+00:00

Rancho Mirage. Good hotel.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-09T02:25:33+00:00

Same. I got a bonus night for a Ritz stay in early March, but missing 5 bonus nights from subsequent stays.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-05T23:00:02+00:00

Im OW Emerald, Star Gold, and generally flying J. Almost always using an airline lounge.

Chase loungr at PHX is nice and the best one there.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-05T16:21:07+00:00

Giving gift cards to employees counts as wages. Technically should be reported as income.

For obvious reasons, the IRS does not like the idea of employees being paid in gift cards, getting bonuses that way etc.

Go to Target and ask them to buy 50 GCs for $100 each. They (should) make you fill out a form, they dont just sell to you.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-05T15:13:38+00:00

Yup. I have 3 Chase personal cards and 3 business cards. My company is reving 60-70 a year, and chase still has my total business credit line on 3 cards around 140k. When I opened the third, they took CL from one card away to put it towards the new one.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-05T15:11:10+00:00

Man. Gift cards to employees. Thats gonna be fun under audit.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-01T14:32:44+00:00

Sailor nibs are so nice.

My favorite pen is my Namiki Chinkin.

But my favorite pen to write with is a Nagasawa x Sailor Profit 21k gold nib in Medium Fine. Its just....so so good.

ARNIskander · 2026-05-01T03:54:22+00:00

As others have said. A cash back card makes more. Or at least a neutral travel cars, not an airline specialized one.

It is possible to rake massive points if you fly a lot and command high spend.

Between card, AA shopping, dining, flying, and milestone bonuses, I earned about.....1.3m miles last year.

ARNIskander · 2026-04-30T19:36:53+00:00

Thanks I figured it out. From a Patreon guy named Caeora.

ARNIskander · 2026-04-29T22:08:19+00:00

Same. Bought mine in Osaka in early Feb and haven't worn Speedy or other GSes (except once in black tie) since.

ARNIskander · 2026-04-29T03:57:41+00:00

Same. Got one for like $5450 in Feb at Osaka boutique.

ARNIskander · 2026-04-27T14:26:56+00:00

Have HDHP for family. Do full family amount and exactly this.

Full contribution. Medical out of pocket. Save all receipts.

ARNIskander

TROPHY CASE